§ Lord Smith of Leighasked Her Majesty's Government:
How they intend to develop the new freedoms for "excellent" and "good" local authorities. [HL 1395]
§ The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker)The Government announced in November the freedoms to be made available to authorities categorised as excellent and good under the comprehensive performance assessment (CPA). The freedoms we are providing to the very best authorities represent a radical package. Where possible, these will take effect for the coming financial year. Those authorities categorised as excellent are also being invited to participate in a new Innovations Forum to develop new ways of working to deliver better outcomes. All authorities will be able to negotiate freedoms through their local public service agreements, regardless of their CPA categorisation.